I think I’de like to write a book.

Originally posted on old blog: Feb 17, 2015 1:09 AM

Today is the day that I finished the meat and potatoes of my 1st draft. I was so excited that I ran to FedEx to print out a copy on 11×17 paper so that I can start taping them to my wall for proof reading and storyboard creation. I have to condense the two activities to help save time.

My original plan began in 2009. It was November 11th, a typical Sunday morning when my dad and I had our weekly Panara breakfast. I always ordered a breakfast sandwich and my dad was a sucker for the cinnamon role. My dad was an incredibly philosophical man and he was a deep thinker. I often struggled to prevent my eyes from glossing over when the discussion took a turn into the realms of phenomenology and stoicism. But on this particular day, I told my dad that I was going to write a book, and this is what he said,

Me: “Dad I think I’de like to write a book, but I don’t know how hard it will be.”

Dad: “The nice thing about it here is that you…you can do it.”

Who knows that Dad meant when he said, “the nice thing about it here…”

He was a migrant you see. He came to the US to earn money for his parents back home, and in doing so, created his own business. He was an upholster by trade, and a damn good one. Maybe he meant that I could do anything here, in the U.S.

Or…

maybe he just messed up his grammar again.

Regardless, I don’t know what made me record that discussion on my phone dad that day, maybe it was the future knocking, fully knowing that I would need to hear that conversation again. Today when I played it back, I cried a mix of tears that flooded from many different emotions. I still have a long way to go Dad, but I am going to make it happen.

My reward for finishing the entire 1st draft contents of my book is to buy a Wacom Cintiqu touch screen. If you don’t know what these are, they are absolutely stunning, unfortunately also super expensive. After my husband helps me with my thumbnail storyboard drafts, we are going to fully enjoy the illustration process on one of these bad boys. Luckily, I just payed down the last bit of my credit card, just in time to use it again.

So hold on tight, we are about to begin round 2.

And Dad…this one’s for you.